Tuesday, March 24, 2009

Laurora

I’m excited to finally announce the opening of my shop, Laurora. So far it’s not quite as full as I’d like, so know that there is more to come! I have another quilt in the works and I’m also going to make some simple dresses, hopefully in the next week or two. I’m selling through Etsy, which bills itself as “Your place to buy & sell all things handmade”. It’s a giant website with thousands of crafters selling their wares, and you may find yourself never shopping anywhere else again. When I first discovered Etsy, I spent hours on it, searching through all the wonderful things for sale. I really think Etsy is a wonderful idea-it gives people like me a chance to place things up for sale, and it has also connected me with so many talented sellers that I never would have found on my own.

You do have to create an account to buy something, but it’s just like creating an account to buy anything else online (name and address, essentially). I will warn you-it asks you to pick a name for your profile and your name can’t be changed, so if you ever plan on selling anything on Etsy, choose your name carefully! Most sellers accept payment through PayPal, which is very easy to use. Don’t be intimidated! If you have any questions about Etsy or PayPal, let me know or just visit their websites. There is plenty of explanation offered at both places.

Now, let’s get onto the details about my store. First, I know you’re wondering about the name. It’s a combination of Laura (who else?) and Aurora, also known as Sleeping Beauty. For a long time, Princess Aurora was Laura’s favorite princess and Sleeping Beauty was her favorite movie. Laura once told me she wished she had been named Aurora, and when I was on the spot to think up a name back when I started shopping on Etsy, Laurora was what I came up with. So like I said, your name sticks with you. I actually like it, since I’m not the type to name things something like Claire’s Crafty Creations. Laurora is unique yet sweet. And since I’m the owner, I get to say how it’s pronounced (La-roar-uh).

What I sell is not necessarily unique to Etsy. There are lots of women already selling bibs and blankets, but I think me just being me is what will allow me to be competitive. Simply put-I'm a perfectionist. It’s good for my buyers, since I am so hard on myself and have only offered up things for sale that meet my strict criteria. You won’t see me trying to sell something with crooked stitching, stray strings, or lumpy spots. At the same time, this perfectionism is bad for me since for everything you see for sale, there are probably 3 others I have deemed just not good enough. The Army Man has tried to convince me that everything in my reject pile is just fine, but I think he’s just trying to be nice to me.

But I leave it up to you to decide for yourself if I’ve done a good job. Take a look at what I have to offer. Since I’m still so new to this, I completely welcome any suggestions about my products or the way my “store” is set up. And if you know someone who is looking to buy something for their baby or needs to buy a gift for someone else, I’d appreciate you mentioning my store to them. I’d appreciate the heck out of it. So much so that I will lavish gifts upon you as a way of saying thanks! Just tell your friends to be sure to mention your name in the “notes to seller” section if they purchase from me. Three referrals and a small gift will be in the mail to you!

The link is up at the very top of this post-just click the pink "Laurora". I also have a small little section over on the right which will take you right to my shop if you click on it. Or just use this address:

About Me

I'm just me. I am Mommy to one sweet little girl and owner to one insane dog. I'm currently on my 14th job. I'm a California girl living in North Carolina and loving it. I'm organized and uptight, but am relaxing enough that I should be good to go by the time I'm 72. I hate to cook but somehow manage to feed my child now and again. I love to read and do crafts, yet never seem to have the time. I hope to run a half-marathon someday. I'm fascinated by history. I talk way too much.